This invention relates generally to printing, and more specifically, to a vacuum printing plate mounter and registration device for mounting in register a flexographic printing plate onto a sticky back cylinder.
One of the traditional way for mounting flexographic printing plates onto a sticky back cylinder is the use of a pair of cameras, each operatively connected to a split screen to display microdots on the printing plate. The printing plate is then manually manipulated to bring the microdots into a center screen to register the plate.
Another way for mounting flexographic printing plates onto a sticky back cylinder is by first having the plate targets aligned after which either a pneumatic punch or a precision drill is used to effect holes in the outer perimeter of the plate. The punched/drilled plates are then transferred to a pin-bar. The punched or drilled holes are then slid over pins that are affixed to the bar. The plate is then applied to its particular plate cylinder which has pre-applied sticky back material to hold the plate in place. This method take a great deal of time and money and occasionally results in the plates being deformed.
The present invention provides a vacuum printing plate mounter which uses a vacuum source to precisely align a target on printing plate with an annular member located in a vacuum cup after the vacuum cup has been visually aligned with the target on the printing plate. After mechanical alignment of the vacuum cup with the target, the vacuum cup supports and maintains the printing plate in position as the printing plate is transferred to the sticky cylinder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,626,076 discloses a system for mounting flexible printing plates by physical register record plate and a method for physical register record plate.
Briefly, the present invention comprises a flexographic printing plate and flexographic printing plate mounter having a slide or support moveable from a down position to an up position. The slide slidably supports a vacuum cup which is connected to one end of a vacuum tube. The other end of the vacuum tube is connected to a foot operable vacuum source which is used to control the suction force of the vacuum cup to enable the vacuum cup to mechanically align with a target on a flexographic printing plate after the target and the flexographic printing plate have been visually aligned. Once the target is mechanically aligned, the vacuum cup supports the flexographic printing plate as the plate is moved from a down position to the up position where the flexographic printing plate can be the transferred to a sticky back cylinder.